how do you do the santa thing if people bring presents round early?

[ilovetochat]

Right, i know dd is only 15 months but we are starting the santa tradition this year and my plan is that xmas eve there are no presents and then when she wakes up xmas morning the presents have appeared under the tree. Our presents to her will be wrapped and stored at gps house who are away so not a problem. what do i do when other relatives/friends turn up the week or so before xmas with presents? Do i sneak them in and hide them all here? Our house is small and dd goes everywhere. or is there a story why some presents appear early?
Also my uncle has a tendency to turn up boxing day? How can presents be late?

[Tortington]

santa - think time zones, helpers magic elves

c;mon use your imagination.

15months though???????? aibu to think this isn't really a problem until they are three?

[MamaG]

You're panicking too much.

Your DD won't have a clue this year, next year just tell her that Santa brings lots of pressies on C.Eve and that people who love her will also bring presents before and after - put the before ones under the tree to get her excited

[Buda]

Well here presents from relatives are just that - from relatives not from Santa. Santa does stocking and some presents under the tree. DS gets one present from us (because he started to ask why everyone else bought him something and we didn't!).

[TheApprentice]

Are you planning to tell her that ALL her presents are from Santa then? When I was little I had a stocking with lots of generally smaller gifts which was from Santa, and then all the other gifts were from uncles/grannies/friends etc. That way it doesnt matter when other gifts arrive early.

[CookieMonster2]

The best idea I have heard is to say that Santa/Father Christmas brings the stocking and that friends/relatives bring other presents. This way when they are older they will appreciate that people have had to pay for presents and they can't just make a wish list for Father Christmas. I appreciate that this spoils the magic a bit but I think it does make them appreciate things more and they still get lots of little surprises in the stocking he has left for them Isn't 15 months a bit early to worry about it anyway. My dd wasn't bothered about any of it at that age.

[popperdoodles]

We have santa pressies and family pressies too. We also explain that santa doesn't come to grown ups so they buy each other pressies too.

[LoolaBoys]

Santa pressies and family pressies, easy. THey wil lhave to thank family for presents when older anyway.

[ilovetochat]

right, i am so dense at this stuff . it's just that a lot of friends with older kids never have any presents under the tree before xmas because santa hasn't been yet so i thought this was the norm.
i can remember as a kid the excitement that these presents had appeared overnight but tbh the stocking had to go in the lounge as i was scared of santa being in my room.

[Buda]

DS has been scared of santa in the room too so stocking gets left on the landing. A friend's DS was so scared of the whole Santa thing that Postman Pat used to bring their presents.

[UniS]

you may find you NEED to hide presents till after bedtime on C.eve for reason...kids ( an i was one of these kids) do love to fertle, and shake and try and sneak a eek at whats inside presents before the big day.
we will need to hie things this year as Boy who will be 2.9 has no concept of presents not being for now, and not being for him. He still trys to open his freinds presents at their birthday parties.

[tuesdayafternoon]

At our house when the kids were small Santa only brought the stocking presents - everything else was from whoever it was from & was opened around the tree on Christmas Day (but yes, you will need a good hiding place until Christmas Day until she gets old enough to trust! )

[AbbeyA]

She is too young to notice. I think it is very odd if Santa brings all the presents-how do you get them to thank the right people? (I know she is too young to thank them at the moment but I got mine to do thank you drawings as soon as they were old enough).

[omeNofthefleshes]

Santa for us only brings one big present and the stockings..dc know that family and mummy and daddy get them things aswell..that way the big guy doesnt get all the credit!!!

[Cheesesarnie]

we do presents under the tree from us and family/whoever .then santa put some presents from him in the sacks on xmas eve.

[MrsHappy]

Quite clearly people bring the presents round so you can send them to Father Christmas all together. FC then checks to see if your child has been good and if so he brings all of the presents for christmas morning.

I accepted that one for 8 years or so...

[MrsHappy]

When presents are late they have been delivered to the wrong house by accident. Administrative error.

[Plonker]

We have a whole range of explanations at our house ...

Some family ask dc's what they want them to send to FC
Some family/friends exchange gifts before the big day
Some family/friends exchange gifts after the big day
Some pressies under the tree from school friends etc
FC brings lots (if they've been good ) of pressies on the day, some from friends/family, some from mum and dad and some from FC himself

I used to lie awake worrying about which theories my kids would accept and which would get them wondering how true it all is. The truth is, they want to believe and so they do believe. They don't question anything - they're probably afraid he won't come if they do, lol.

I have found over the years that i can always come up with a reasonable explanation if necessary

[AbbeyA]

I would never use the 'if good' option-he comes on Christmas Eve whatever. Presents from friends and family are already there.

[islandofsodor]

We hide any presents that arrive early, in our bedroom, in the shed or even the boot of the car if necessary.

Presents that arrive late are not part of normal Christmas presents. They are just a present that someone brings when they visit after Christmas.

[ilovetochat]

thanks for all the ideas everyone! She will be that busy eating the wrapping paper she won't care this year but i want to start the traditions now.

[Sycamoretree]

Presents from relatives are just that - from relatives.

The presents from Santa are JUST the ones you and your DH/DP buy.

If I were you, I'd think about another place that Santa leaves the presents other than under the tree. Growing up my sister and I had a sofa each (not full!) where santa left his presents. Then you can keep the presents that arrive early under the tree and not have to worry about hiding them.

The day started with kids opening santa presents. Then after that, we did the under the tree exchange. Always keep one present for them from you guys under the tree so they don't think you are the only people under the sun who didn't buy them a gift

[PuppyMonkey]

My dd2 is 18 months and I haven't the slightest intention of telling her anything about Santa as she won't understand...

With dd1 she knew Santa only brings some prezzies while aunties and uncles also bring others... She accepted all of them..

[SixSpotBonfire]

We've always had Santa presents (which obviously don't appear until Xmas morning) and then the presents from everybody else (which can appear and be put under the tree and woe betide anyone found surreptitiously removing the paper for a peek inside ).

[OrmIrian]

Father Christmas doesn't bring family presents. Those come from family. He just brings christmas stocking on your bed at night. People who insist that FC brings everyhing, how do you cope with all the gift tags with 'love from Auntie Aggie' on?

[mabanana]

I think it's awful to pass of presents lovingly chosen and given by aunties, grandparents, godparents etc as 'from Santa'. They deserve to be thanked for their gifts, and for children to see that people care enough about them to give them gifts. These presents go under the tree, along with presents that adults buy for each other and for visiting children. FC only buys the presents that appear in the stocking/sack/ pillowcase and are bought by parents..